Lip openable closure cap for liquid containers



K. J. ALBERT Aug. 29, 1967 LIP OPENABLE CLOSURE GAP FOR LIQUIDCONTAINERS Filed March 7, 1966 INVENTOR.

KENNETH J. ALBERT United States Patent 3,338,467 LIP OPENABLE CLOSURECAP FOR LIQUID CONTAINERS Kenneth J.'Albert, Phoenix, Ariz., assignor toPortal Designs Corporation, a corporation of California Filed Mar. 7,1966, Ser. No. 532,178 3 Claims. (Cl. 220-90.4)

This invention relates to a lip openable closure cap for liquidcontainers.

Heretofore various prior art lip openable closure caps for liquidcontainers have employed spring loaded cap valves having valve seatsdisposed closely adjacent to the periphery or drinking edge of suchclosure caps, whereby liquid emitted from an annular valve seat closelyadjacent to the drinkers mouth tends to flow in a broad stream and leakat the corners of the drinkers mouth,

causing spillage of liquid during the drinking thereof.

Conventional prior art lip operable closure caps for liquid containersare, accordingly, substantially inoperable since they generally preventdrinkers from avoiding spillage of the liquid during the operation ofdrinking it from a container. The drinking peripheral lips of suchclosure caps are generally broad at the open portions thereof, such thatthe lips and the corners of a persons mouth are unable properly to sealaround the drinking edges of such caps due to the close proximity of theopenabtle cap valve seat structure thereof.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a lipoperable closure cap for liquid containers which employs a novelcombination of mechanism, wherein a lip operable valve is provided witha valve seat disposed a considerable distance from a conventional shapeddrinking container rim, such that flow of liquid to the rim, when thevalve is open, forms a stream which is within the confines of thedrinkers mouth and does not tend to flow beyond the corners of thedrinkers mouth.

Another object of'the invention is to provide a lip operable closure capfor liquid containers having a lip operable valve cap disposed .onsubstantially a common plane withan annular drinking lip structure andhaving a valve 'seat structure axially spaced a considerable distancefrom the drinking lip and wherein a liquid flow annulus is disposedbetween the drinking lip and the valve cap structure to provide a properflow channel for liquid passing from the valve seat to the drinking lip,such that even though the valve seat may be opened a substantial portionof its periphery, flow from the seat to the drinking lip will narrowdown to the drinking confines of the drinkers lips which engage thedrinking lip of the cap.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel lip operableclosure cap for liquid containers, wherein a drinking lip body surroundsan annular cap and valve seat structure and wherein a peripheral skirtof the lip operable valve cap is provided with a plurality of notches,such that the periphery of thenotch portion may slide axially in thebody structure of the cap to permit the valve to be opened relative toits seat and to at all times, maintain concentric alignment of the valvewith the seat; and wherein the lip operable cap structure on adownstream side of the valve seat is provided with a peripherallynotched portion to permit outlet flow from the valve seat and tomaintain concentricity of the lip operable closure structure relative tothe valve seat.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lip operable closure capfor liquid containers which is particularly adapted for use inconnection with a great variety of drinking receptacles, includinginsulated cups, as Well as containers of the non-spillable type.

Other objects and advantages of the invention may be apparent from thefollowing specification, appended claims and accompanying drawings, inwhich:

3,338,467 Patented Aug. 29, 1967 "ice FIG. 1 is an axial sectional viewof a lip operable closure cap for liquid containers, in accordance withthe present invention, and shown connected to a substantiallyconventional drinking container;

FIG. 2 is a plan sectional view taken from the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan sectional view taken from the line 33 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a plan sectional view taken from the line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings, a lip operable closure cap 10 of theinvention is disposed to enclose a normally upper open end 12 of aconventional liquid containing drinking receptacle 14. This receptacleor container 14 is provided with an enclosed bottom 16 and fitted in thenorinally upper open end of the container 14 is an annular skirt 18 ofan annular body20 of the closure cap 10. A peripheral rib 22 of theskirt 18 bears frictionally and sealingly against an inner wall 24 ofthe container 14 The body 20 of the closure cap 10 is provided with anupper open annular drinking edge 26 which isa peripheral edge of similardimension and form as that of a conventional drinking glass or otherdrinking receptacles.

This annular edge 26 surrounds a lip operable valve cap 28 having a lipengaging surfaceportion 30 disposed substantially on the same axialplane as the drinking edge or lip 26.

The lip operable cap 30 is provided with a substantially hollowcylindrical portion 32 having an enlarged valve seat ledge 34 carryingan annular valve gasket 36 which engages an inwardly directed valve seat38 of the cap body 20.

A peripheral skirt 40 of the cap 28 is provided with an annular row ofnotches 42 to permit the passage of liquid around the skirt 40 andupwardly past the valve seat 38 and gasket 36, when the cap 28 isdepressed, as will be hereinafter described in detail.

Surrounding the cap 28 is a notched peripheral portion 44 adapted toprovide a concentric guide for the cap 28 internally of the seatstructure 38, whereby concentricity and eflicient seating of the cap 28in the body 20 may be attained so that the valve gasket 36 seatsconcentrically and properly in relation to the seat 38.

A coil spring 46 is supported on a spider 48 tending to urge the cap 28in the direction of an arrow A to maintain the gasket 36 in firm closedrelationship with the seat 38 normally to provide a closure to retainliquid in the container 14, either for the purpose of thermallyinsulating the liquid relative to ambient atmosphere or to preventspillage of the liquid from the container in case it is tipped over.

The spring 46 is seated on the spider 48 which is provided with aplurality of legs 50 directed radially outward from a central hub 52.

Outer end portions 54 of the spider 48 bear upon an inwardly directedledge 56 of the skirt portion 18 of the body 20. The ends 54 areresiliently deflectable in order to be disengaged from the ledge 56 todisassemble the lip openable closure cap of the invention for cleaning,as desired.

As shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is a considerable distancebetween the drinking lip 26 and the valve seat 38 and substantial spacebetween an inner wall 58 of the body 20 and an outer wall 60 of the lipopenable cap 28. Thus, when a person is drinking from the closurecap ofthe invention, the lips may be placed about the drinking edge 26 in theconventional manner and a persons upper lip may bear at 30 on theopenable cap 28 applying suflicient pressure to compress the spring 46and to move the gasket 36 away from the annular seat 38 and to allowliquid to pass through the notches 46 and 44 '9 J and into the annularspace between the walls 58 and 60. The substantial distance between theedge 26 and the seat 38 permits a stream to flow from the seat 38, saidstream may tend to be rather wide at the seat 38, since when the cap 30is tilted about the seat 38 a substantial portion of the periphery isopened and liquid may tend to flow around a substantial part of theperiphery of the seat 38, thus, the liquid passes through the notches 44and proceeds toward the edge 26. Due to the substantial distance fromthe seat 38 to the edge 26, the broad stream flowing from the seat 38narrows down into a substantially narrow stream which is within theconfines of a persons mouth and does not tend to overflow the corners ofa persons mouth.

Accordingly, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that thedistance from the seat 38 to the drinking edge 26 may be one-half tothree-quarters of an inch or at least a multiple of a dimension whichequals the peripheral thickness of a drinking edge 26. This peripheralthickness may be defined by the wall thickness of the edge 26 which maybe comparable to the wall thickness of the drinking edge of anysubstantially conventional drinking receptacle.

It will be obvious to thos skilled in the art that the container 1 4 ordrinking receptacle 14 may be of an insulated type and that the body 20and cap 28 may also be of an insulated structure suitable for keepinghot drinks hot and cold drinks cold. Further, the lip openable closurecap of the present invention may be used in connection with milkdrinking vessels for children so that when the vessels are turned over,they do not permit spillage of the milk or other liquids from thecontainers.

It will also be obvious to those skilled in the art that the spacing ofthe edge 26 from the lip operable portion 30 of the cap 28 is sufficientto be campatible with the normal open position of a persons mouthdrinking at the peripheral edge 26.

The notched portions 40 and 44, as hereinbefore described, maintainconcentricity of the valve structure operated by the cap 28 and the body20 with its valve seat 38.

It will be understood that the spacing of the drinking edge 26 and theseat 38 is critical to provide a sufiicient distance for liquid passingaround a substantial peripheral portion of the seat 38 to form'into astream sufficiently narrow to fall within the confines of a personsmouth between the corners thereof without over running the corners ofsuch persons mouth.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications of the present invention may be resorted to in a mannerlimited only by a just interpretation of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a lip openable closure cap for liquid containers, the combinationof: a hollow cylindrical cap body having one end portion adapted to fitan annular open end of a liquid container; said cap body having anopposite open end provided with an annular drinking edge adapted to beengaged by the lips of a person, said drinking edge having a wallthickness approximating that of a conventional drinking receptacle; alip openable cap mounted concentrically and internally of said cap body,said cap body having an inwardly directed annular valve seat; said lipopenable cap having an outwardly directed annular valve portionengageable with said seat; a resilient means mounted in said body andurging said lip openable cap and said valve portion in a directiontoward said seat and said drinking edge; said cap having a lip engagingportion adjacent to said drinking edge, whereby a drinkers upper lip mayresiliently depress said lip openable cap against said resilient meansto open said valve portion relative to said seat; said valve seat andsaid valve portion being spaced from said drinking edge a considerabledistance, said distance equalling at least a multiple of the said wallthickness, said lip openable cap having an external diametersubstantially smaller than the interior of said hollow cylindrical bodybetween said valve portion and said drinking edge, thereby providing asubstantial annulus for flow of liquid from said valve seat to saiddrinking edge.

2. The invention, as defined in claim 1, wherein: said lip openable capis provided with external guide skirt means, said skirt means havingperipheral notches to permit flow of liquid around said skirt guidemeans; said skirt guide means being disposed near said valve seat formaintaining said valve portion concentric with said valve seat.

3. The invention, as defined in claim 1, wherein: an annular gasket isdisposed between said seat and said valve portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,015,411 1/1962 Smith 220.43,208,629 10/1965 Beeson 220-1904 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. I.B. MARBERT, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A LIP OPENABLE CLOSURE CAP FOR LIQUID CONTAINERS, THE COMBINATIONOF: A HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL CAP BODY HAVING ONE END PORTION ADAPTED TO FITAN ANNULAR OPEN END OF A LIQUID CONTAINER; SAID CAP BODY HAVING ANOPPOSITE OPEN END PROVIDED WITH AN ANNULAR DRINKING EDGE ADAPTED TO BEENGAGED BY THE LIPS OF A PERSON, SAID DRINKING EDGE HAVING A WALLTHICKNESS APPROXIMATING THAT OF A CONVENTIONAL DRINKING RECEPTACLE; ALIP OPENABLE CAP MOUNTED CONCENTRICALLY AND INTERNALLY OF SAID CAP BODY,SAID CAP BODY HAVING AN INWARDLY DIRECTED ANNULAR VALVE SEAT; SAID LIPOPENABLE CAP HAVING AN OUTWARDLY DIRECTED ANNULAR VALVE PORTIONENGAGEABLE WITH SAID SEAT; A RESILIENT MEANS MOUNTED IN SAID BODY ANDURGING SAID LIP OPENABLE CAP AND SAID VALVE PORTION IN A DIRECTIONTOWARD SAID SEAT AND SAID DRINKING EDGE; SAID CAP HAVING A LIP ENGAGINGPORTION ADJACENT TO SAID DRINKING EDGE, WHEREBY A DRINKER''S UPPER LIPMAY RESILIENTLY DEPRESS SAID LIP OPENABLE CAP AGAINST SAID RESILIENTMEANS TO OPEN SAID VALVE PORTION RELATIVE TO SAID SEAT; SAID VALVE SEATAND SAID VALVE PORTION BEING